Perfectly Imperfect
by AvengersForever
Summary: No one is harder on Natasha Romanoff than herself. She doesn't know it yet, but she's just good enough for Steve.
1. Great Expectations

**Perfectly Imperfect**

**Author's Note:** Story contains strong language and nudity. There will be sex, but nothing hurtful or bad. This story is meant to be a positive one, so I hope you'll enjoy it!

* * *

**Chapter One**

**Great Expectations**

Agent Natasha Romanoff wiped the sweat from her brow as she entered her room. Her whole body was wet and sticky, and she ached all over. She deserved to ache like that, after neglecting the gym for more than a month.

The workout room was the first place she had gone after returning to the Helicarrier. She had gone there eagerly with weightlifting, lunges, and cardio all on her mind. A total body workout, just like what she had done almost every day before her latest deployment.

After running for just half an hour on the treadmill, she had been forced to give up for fear that her heart would explode. A six-course dinner every night, topped off with a decadent desert, would do that to you.

Her last assignment had been a welcome break at first. All she had to do was cozy up to a banker suspected of financing terrorist groups like AIM. No guns, car chases, or explosions. Just luxury hotel suites and fine dining. Lots of it.

It was great at first, and Natasha indulged herself as well as anyone could. But after several weeks, the constant and excessive eating became a chore. Natasha pushed on though, eating with the fat bastard wherever and whenever he wanted to.

Her big break had come just two days ago, allowing her to finally drop the charade and leave him. The man had left his mark on her though. She felt bloated and disgusting.

_I'm better than this_, she thought. She _would_ be better. Tomorrow.

Natasha groaned as she walked in front of her mirror and began to undress. The first thing she pulled off was her tank top. Natasha dropped it on the floor and looked down at her stomach. It didn't bulge out like she was afraid it would, but she could see that she had grown a slight tummy. Her skintight cat suit was going to be a little more skintight the next time she put it on.

_Agent Hill's gonna give me hell_. Physical fitness was a requirement for all SHIELD agents. But for Natasha, so was physical _beauty_. It was ridiculous, but she actually had superiors who would look her over and pick apart her appearance. She could actually be reprimanded for not looking hot enough for them.

She unhooked her sports bra next. Gripping her breasts, she pushed them together as she examined them. Her girls always looked good. They weren't the problem. Never were. She knew where to look to find one though.

After taking off her sneakers and socks, she paused with a sense of dread. She didn't want to proceed, but she had to see where she was. With a sigh, she removed her shorts. She turned so that her back faced the mirror, allowing her to see her thong-covered butt.

There were dimples on her cheeks, but that wasn't all. If she turned just right, the light revealed creases running side-to-side all the way down her thighs.

The Black Widow had cellulite.

"Damn it," she muttered. It wasn't immediately apparent from a distance, or even from every angle. But she was going to be looked at very closely, more than anyone else whom she knew.

It wasn't fair. The only thing people cared about when it came to Clint was his ability to put bullets and arrows on target. Hill, an attractive woman herself, was judged on her skills and smarts instead. But Natasha had to be the total package. Strong, deadly, intelligent, and beautiful. Perfectly, flawlessly beautiful. Nothing short of that was good enough.

The door to her room slid open.

_Shit_, Natasha thought as she turned her head. In her tired and distressed state, she had forgotten to lock the door before. Natasha reacted on pure instinct. Both hands went down to cover her ass, before she even thought to raise an arm over her naked breasts.

"Hey, you wanna grab some dinner?" Steve asked. He stepped inside, and he froze as he laid his eyes upon her.

"What the hell, Steve?!" She turned to face him, unlike any other woman would in her situation. Anything to keep him from seeing her cottage cheese ass.

"I, I'm –" His eyes and mouth widened, and he stood there dumbfounded.

"Don't you know how to knock?!"

"Sorry!" he said as he finally looked away. "I was glad you were back! I wasn't thinking!"

"Get out!"

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry." He began to head for the door, when he stopped. "You still wanna eat?"

"Get the fuck out!"

Steve ran off, as fast as she had ever seen him move.

Natasha kept one arm over her breasts as she closed the door and locked it. She then plopped herself on the bed and lowered her face into her hand.


	2. Guilty Pleasure

**Chapter Two**

**Guilty Pleasure**

Captain Steve Rogers did not go to the mess hall that night. He was definitely hungry, but the food in the cafeteria tasted like crap. Steve would only go if he had plans, or nothing else to eat. That night, he had a few protein bars and a cup of instant noodles.

He sat at his desk, twirling his noodles around a plastic fork. Besides his own occasional slurping, the only sounds in the room came from the Frank Sinatra song playing on his vintage record player. Steve didn't know why he even bothered with that thing. It didn't make him feel any less homesick or lonely. Far from it, in fact.

Swallowing the last of his noodles, he set his cup down and turned to the clock at the corner of his desk. It was 8:32 PM. The night was still young, but for him it was already over.

Steve looked down and sighed. Tonight was supposed to be the night. He had been working hard, practicing his lines and building the confidence he would need to talk to her. After more than a month, he finally felt as if he were ready.

Then he had to walk in on her and screw it all up. Even his intrusion might not have ruined everything, had he not stood there staring at her like some slack jawed schoolboy.

_Real smooth_, he thought. Hopefully, he would be able salvage their working relationship with an apology tomorrow. But as for being with her, that hope was gone. He saw no way to apologize without coming across as awkward.

Steve replayed the incident in his head, trying to think of the right words to address it with. Natasha was pissed off at him, and she had every right to be. What he had done was wrong. He wished that none of it had ever happened...

Okay, so he really didn't. Steve admitted that to himself as he noticed his hand between his legs. The images of her nearly naked body excited him. He would be lying if he said that he didn't like what he saw. Things may have turned out badly, but those first few moments had been glorious.

Closing his eyes, he rubbed himself harder as the images attained greater clarity. The first thing he had noticed was how curvaceous she looked from the side, with her boobs pointing in one direction and her butt in the other. Natasha had covered most of her voluptuous curves before he could see too much, and that had only heightened his desire for her.

She hadn't been able to cover her stomach, which stuck out a tiny bit more than he had remembered. It looked so cute and soft, and he just wanted to touch it. He was sure that it would feel good, either in his hands or while cushioning his body as they made love. Her tummy seemed so much more inviting than the chiseled, rock hard abs that women apparently thought they had to have these days.

Yes, it may have indicated that she could use a little toning up. But for so long, Natasha had been nothing but cool, deadly perfection. A little "imperfection" like that suddenly made her vulnerable. That wasn't a bad thing to him. To be vulnerable was to be human. It was real, and it made her seem that much more approachable.

Steve breathed heavily, feeling a smile form on his face as he continued to stroke himself. His trousers felt a lot tighter now, and he could feel the metal zipper scraping against his flesh...

He hadn't even gotten to her butt yet. Steve moaned as he pictured it, so round between her wide curving hips.

Squeezing hard, Steve realized right then that the butt just might be his favorite part of the female body. Tony had pegged him as an "ass man" after catching him turning his head on the street one too many times. Steve had denied the label then, but he had been lying to Stark as well as to himself. There was no point in hiding who he was anymore, especially after he had heard that "rap" song on TV. He liked big butts and he couldn't lie.

Natasha had only been able to keep one hand over her tush while covering her breasts as well. She had tried to keep him from seeing it, but he had still gotten a glimpse of both of her luscious cheeks...

_Damn it_, he thought. This was so wrong. Natasha was still mad at him. He had still fucked everything up. He wanted to go back to her. To open up, and tell her that she was beautiful and that he wanted to be with her very badly. But all he could do now was say he was sorry.

The frustration, and the sharp teeth of his zipper, forced him to open his eyes. He wouldn't let them beat him though. Steve was upset, but he had gone too far to stop now. He rolled his chair over to his computer, and he unzipped his pants.

He didn't think he'd be rubbing another one out tonight. Had things turned out the way they were supposed to, he'd still be hanging out with Natasha. They hadn't though, and he was now the Star Spangled Man without a Plan.

Gripping himself with one hand, Steve opened his internet browser and readied himself to go all the way. He'd have to thank Stark sometime for suggesting that he Google "Natalie Rushman."


	3. Caught in the Act

**Chapter Three**

**Caught in the Act**

_He saw it all_, Natasha thought. Her shower was steaming, but she was so angry that it might as well have been coming from her.

She had always been very quick in the shower. In and out, without a single minute wasted. But that night, she just couldn't get over her incident with Steve. Natasha closed her eyes and leaned against the wall, unable to do anything as the rage burned within her.

Her day had already been terrible, but then he had to barge in and see her. She had tried to cover up, but she hadn't been able to hide the parts that mattered. Natasha felt exposed. Vulnerable. _Weak_.

Would Steve think less of her? He hadn't said anything, but she knew what must have been going through his head.

She had given Steve several opportunities to see her without her clothes on, but he had always been too clueless to pick up on her hints. It was ridiculous. He couldn't see her when she was looking at her best. No, he had to wait and walk in on her _now_.

Natasha sighed and proceeded to scrub herself, doing her best to avoid looking at her own body as she did so.

_I need to set him straight_, she thought. She couldn't let him think that she normally looked this way. Even more importantly, she had to make sure that he wouldn't talk about it. Steve was a nice guy who was unlikely to say anything about this to others. However, she wasn't going to leave _anything_ to chance.

* * *

Steve licked his lips as he entered another website. Natasha's alter ego "Natalie Rushman" had quite a presence on the internet, modeling for clothing designers as well as for glamour websites. The site Steve had just entered had the hottest gallery of her yet. It was a bit sketchy, and some of the links on the menu bar at the top kind of freaked him out. He did the best to ignore them as he continued to gaze upon Natasha's pictures.

This particular gallery had apparently been shot on a beach about a year ago. Nat's hair was a darker shade of red back then. It was longer too, with luxurious curls that fell to the middle of her back. That would have been enough for him, but her facial expressions and body language put these pictures over the top. The sequence of pictures seemed to tell a story, with Natasha staring into the camera as she removed her bikini top before lying down on the white sand with her hands cupped over her breasts.

_God damn_, he thought as he loosened his left hand and pulled it up slightly to rest upon his thigh. _Easy, soldier_. He had almost exploded right there. Had he maintained his grip for just a second more, he would have brought his night to yet another premature end. That would have left him quite dissatisfied, because he intended to stretch himself out for decent amount of time that night. Anything to take his mind off of his failings in real life.

Steve gave himself half a minute to cool down before he resumed his concentrated viewing of the pictures. Slipping his hand back down, he gripped himself as he stared into a close shot of Natasha's upper body. The intense look in her eyes immersed him into the scene, making him feel as if they were actually connecting.

He held himself tight, and he noticed that he was breathing very heavily. _This is it_, he thought as he reached for the box of tissues at the corner of his desk. He had to move quickly to keep himself from making a mess. "Natasha..."

His eyes widened as he saw her actually walk in through his door. The unexpected sight threw him off, and his hand stopped short before it could reach the tissues. He fought hard to hold it in, but he couldn't. "Natasha...No!" Steve watched in horror, as she stood frozen in his line of fire.

Her hesitation lasted only a small fraction of a second. With assassin-trained reflexes, Natasha leaped aside and rolled into the middle of the room.

"The hell was that?!"

"Jesus...I'm sorry." His nervous embarrassment suddenly gave way to an awkward smile. "Guess I forgot to lock my door as well."


	4. Better Than the Real Thing

**Chapter Four**

**Better Than the Real Thing**

"I swear to God," Natasha snarled. "If you had hit me –"

She froze again as her eyes drifted down to his exposed manhood. The sight of it took her breath away. She stopped again, this time for good. _Wow_, Natasha thought as she forced herself to inhale. Suddenly, she wasn't angry anymore.

"What were you looking at anyway?" she asked, trying to deflect the focus back on to him. She was also curious about what type of girl turned him on.

Steve's own reflexes kicked into gear. He pushed his mouse and clicked several times before she could make her way over to his computer.

Despite his speed, his moves had been panicked and clumsy. Natasha could tell from the frightened look on his face that he hadn't been able to hit the red "X" to close whatever website was looking at. Leaning over his shoulder, she finally saw what was on his screen.

"Holy shit." Her mouth dropped open, and she took a step back. "Never figured you were into balloons."

"What," he said as he looked back at his screen again. "No!"

"That's okay, Steve," Natasha said unconvincingly. "We all have our kinks."

"No! You gotta believe me! I'm not into that stuff!"

"What _were_ you looking at, then?"

Steve stopped and lowered his head, too embarrassed to give her an answer.

"Look, it's fine. Whatever floats your boat."

"I, I wasn't looking at...balloons," he said before looked up into her eyes. Steve sighed and clicked the "back" button on his browser. "I was looking at you."

Natasha raised her hand over her mouth. "Steve..."

"I like you, Nat. Always have."

"Why didn't you just tell me?"

"You were mad at me for being such a creep. I didn't wanna make things any worse."

"That's not why I was mad." Natasha stopped herself, too shy to disclose her insecurities with him. She took a step forward and leaned down toward the monitor again. It would be easier if she could divert the discussion toward anything else, even pictures of herself.

"God," she said as she looked over the pictures. With their professional lighting and editing, they only made her feel worse about herself. "I look like a big plastic Barbie. They airbrushed the shit outta me."

"They didn't have to," Steve said as he stood up and moved in close to her.

Natasha made eye contact with him, and time seemed to come to a stop. She felt her spine straightening, and she was unable to do anything as she was overtaken by a mutual feeling of desire.

Steve brushed her short red hair aside and laid a gentle kiss on her lips. He wrapped his arms around her, as he moved to embrace her from behind. She felt his breath on her neck, before he began to kiss her there as well. It had all come so fast, and she could hardly believe what was happening. It was like something out of a dream.

"I'd like to make love to you. Ma'am."

Natasha giggled at his formal address. It was as if Steve had nervously fallen back on propriety, after being so forward with her. His awkwardness was cute. But it was nothing compared to the gentle but decisive force of his arms, as he proceeded with another surge of confidence.

"But you just...Can you go again so soon?"

"I'm a Super Soldier. I can go on when other men can't."

Natasha suddenly felt weak in the knees. She almost fell, but Steve held her up and brought her over to his bed.

He didn't lay her down though. He stayed behind her instead and bent her over the side of the bed.

_What's this?_ Natasha thought. For some reason, she had never imagined Captain America liking any position besides straight missionary.

Steve laid a kiss on her cheek as he slid his hands down her sides and to her hips. He then reached forward to caress her stomach. "So soft."

_What does he mean by that?_ Natasha's pleasure ceased, and she became tense as she felt his fingers sinking into the flab on her belly. She pulled her own arm in and brushed his hand off. Her move was unclear though, and it failed to send the message that she wanted him to stop.

"Bet those pictures can't compare to the real thing." Steve's other hand slid across her back and clutched the waistband of her sweatpants. He slowly pulled her pants down, exposing her thong.

In seconds, he would see her bare ass again. Up close, with all of its ugly details right in front of his face. The fact that he was coming off of those perfectly airbrushed pictures of her would make her body look even worse. He wouldn't be merely turned off. He'd be disappointed.

"Stop it," Natasha said as she stood up and pushed him away. She quickly turned to face him as she pulled her pants back up.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked. Steve's mouth hung open, and he looked both confused and concerned.

"No...It's not you. It's me..."

He reached out for her, but Natasha took a big step back.

"I'm sorry, Steve. I can't do this right now."

She turned and ran for the door.


	5. Cruel, Cruel World

**Chapter Five**

**Cruel, Cruel World**

Leaving Steve behind, Natasha went straight back to her room and threw herself on her bed.

She didn't cry, because the Black Widow wasn't allowed to cry. She had already slipped enough physically, and she would truly be lost if she let herself go emotionally as well. Instead, Natasha did what she had done on so many other nights in her life. She lay there, wide-awake, thinking as she stared at the ceiling.

_He deserves better than that. He deserves better than me_.

Natasha hated her inability to open up to others. She had always been so guarded. People were potential threats to her, and situations were problems for her to push through or avoid altogether. To show weaknesses or flaws was not an option. One hint of vulnerability, and the world could destroy her.

That was how she lived, even during the best of times. She had worked hard over the years to be perfect and look every bit the part. The cool, detached, and confident personality that she had crafted was equal parts truth and lie. It was another tool to keep people away and allow her to claim a measure of control over her world. She had always felt lacking in control, and losing the small bit that she had fought to attain was her greatest fear.

Her issues hindered her relationships with people, but she didn't feel as if she could change them. If anything, her recent problems with her body had only made her fears more real and tangible. She could feel the control slipping away from her, and it was only a matter of time before the attacks would come.

She couldn't let Steve see her or know how she felt, because then he'd just look down on her. He would become part of the problem, and she couldn't bear to think of him like that.

Sleep didn't come for several hours. When it did, it was far too late to matter very much.

* * *

Waking up exhausted, Natasha was already irritable. Then she received a mass text message from Agent Hill: "Surprise physical. Come to Conference Room B by 0830."

"Shit," Natasha muttered.

Agents like her usually had monthly evaluations to ensure that they complied with strict standards for fitness and appearance. But those evaluations had come on the same day every month for as long as she could remember. The one thing that had soothed her mind was the belief that she would have some time to whip herself back into shape. But now she wouldn't even have that.

* * *

Conference Room B was a small, mostly bare room. Its walls were white, and its floor dark gray. Several rectangular wooden tables were arranged in a semicircle around an empty space near one wall, where a projection screen was mounted. It was a simple place for lower priority briefings.

Today though, it was a viewing room for twenty of SHIELD's most beautiful female agents. The women lined up along the side, waiting to be called to the center where they would be judged one at a time.

Natasha watched nervously as the other girls undressed around her. They had all been told to strip down to their underwear, and all of the other agents were doing so without hesitation. With a sigh, Natasha slipped off her clothes as well.

These inspections reminded her of the model castings that she had gone through during several of her undercover missions. This felt only slightly less degrading.

"Agent Romanoff," someone said behind her. "Haven't seen you in a while."

Natasha turned around and saw Agent Melanie Fox standing next to her. With her slim 5'11 frame and forty-inch legs, she towered over Natasha. Fox's straight blonde hair seemed to shine as it hung down past her shoulders. Her gorgeous face and body wouldn't have looked out of place on a swimsuit catalogue.

Fox had always come in second to Natasha when it came to marksmanship and martial arts skills. Over the last few months though, her scores had crept closer and closer. From what Natasha had learned, Fox had recently beaten her records during her gluttonous month-long absence.

"Yeah," Natasha said. "It's good to be back..."

"How was Paris? I've heard a lot about French cuisine."

"Oh, it's great. I love it."

"I can tell." Melanie lowered her head and looked over Natasha's body in an obvious way, before she turned and went to join her friends at the other end of the line.

Natasha clenched her fist as she watched Agent Fox walking away with an exaggeratedly sexy gait. She would have kicked her perfect little ass if there weren't several supervisors in the room.

One by one, the women were called up to receive judgment. Agent Hill was only one member on the panel of four supervisors. There were two older men as well, along with a middle-aged woman named Barbara Waller. Waller sat in the middle of the table, and she was the one whom all the agents feared the most. While the other supervisors were content to let the women off with general suggestions that they should spend more time in the gym, Waller had a reputation for being blunt and cruel.

Most of the women had known better than to let themselves slide enough to face her wrath. Agent Fox, in particular, got rare words of praise from her.

Now, it was Natasha's turn. She stepped in front of the panel, and she could tell right away that they didn't approve of her appearance. They didn't even order her to pose and turn around so that they could see her entire body. She was that out of shape in their eyes that she didn't warrant a further look. The panel's silence was the most deafening criticism of all.

Ms. Waller loudly exhaled in disgust. "If no one else will say it, then I will. You look like hell."

_I know_, Natasha thought. She kept her mouth shut and nodded.

"How much do you weigh, Agent Romanoff?"

Natasha hesitated, unready to answer even though she knew exactly what the answer was.

"You can tell us, or you can step on that scale over there."

"One thirty-six," Natasha replied. She could hear gasps and chattering from the other women in the room.

"Do you think that's acceptable?" Waller asked. "Or do you think it's a disgrace to yourself and to this program?"

_What the hell_, Natasha thought.

Agent Hill spoke up. "Agent Romanoff, we trust that you know what to do about this."

"Yes," Natasha replied. "I do."

Hill gave her a nod, and Natasha took it as her signal to walk back over to the side.

* * *

Natasha got dressed and left the room as soon as she was able to. She wanted to go straight to the gym, but her damn stomach was growling and she would have to get some breakfast first.

"Wait up, Romanoff!"

She turned around and saw Agent Hill following her out of the Conference Room. "Come to chew me out some more?"

"No," Hill replied. She looked behind to see if Waller was nearby before she continued. "You have some work to do, but you _don't_ look like hell."

"Thanks," Natasha said in response to that faint praise.

"I don't know how you girls put up with this. Just between the two of us, I think this is disgusting. It's sexist and it's fucked up."

"Yeah, it is," Natasha said. "But that's the world we live in."


	6. Breakfast for Two

**Chapter Six**

**Breakfast for Two**

Breakfast was Natasha's favorite meal of the day. As she made her way through the ship's crowded mess hall, she could see that it was everyone else's as well.

Almost anyone could appreciate the taste of hash browns, bacon, or eggs over easy. More importantly, even the lousy cooks aboard the Helicarrier couldn't screw up something that simple. The morning was usually the one time when Natasha actually liked to eat on that ship.

Not today though. She had been eating too much lately, and everyone could see it. If she wanted to get back into shape, she would have to get her day started off right. Natasha walked around the long line of people waiting for their deep fried meat and potatoes, straight to the nearly empty health food section.

There, she got herself a slice of grapefruit and half of a small bowl of oatmeal. She wasn't very thrilled with her tiny breakfast, but she knew that sacrifices had to be made.

* * *

"Damn, how long is this gonna take?" the young agent asked.

"We're almost there," Steve said. There were only a half dozen people in front of them. He couldn't complain, knowing that there were more than a hundred men and women behind them with more on the way.

Steve had gotten a decent spot in line, even though he had hardly jumped out of bed that morning. He had come earlier than many others had simply because he hadn't slept. All he could think about was Natasha and the way she had ran out on him last night.

The question of why weighed on his mind. He didn't know what he had done wrong to scare her off. Maybe it was how fast he had moved. Or maybe it was the weird position that he had tried on her. Yes, that had to be it.

"Ugh, you idiot!" he whispered as he slapped his own forehead. It served him right for trying to start things off like a character in an X-rated video.

He sighed and looked behind him, just in time to see Natasha leaving the health food section with barely anything on her tray. She looked so hot in her tank top and tight shorts, and his body reacted involuntarily. Steve felt his pants becoming uncomfortably tight, as he watched Natasha walking over to an empty table. He wasn't just aroused. He was experiencing all of the feelings that he had repressed after his failure from the night before. Several seconds passed before he thought to lower his tray in front of his pants to avoid any strange looks from the men around him.

He felt stupid, not just because of his awkward bodily functions but because he hadn't even considered what Natasha was going through. Her clothes suggested that she was in a hurry to make it to the gym. She must have come in just a minute ago, after the line for all the real food had already become way too long. The poor girl must have settled for the food no one, including herself, had really wanted to eat.

"Hey dumbass!" the server screamed.

Steve jumped, startled out of his thoughts about Natasha.

"Are you deaf?! Next in line!"

"Sorry..." Steve said as he turned back around to face the server.

"No, _I'm_ sorry, Captain! Didn't recognize ya there..."

"That's alright," Steve said. "I'll take two servings of everything please."

"Oh, sure thing, Cap! Here, let me give you a little extra..."

"Thanks," Steve said, smiling as he watched the server pile two platters with pancakes, hash browns, bacon, sausages, and eggs. He took the massive portions and headed over to Natasha's table, ready to surprise her with a hearty meal.

"Good morning, Nat!" Steve plopped one mountain of food down in front of her before he sat down at the other side of the table.

She looked up at him, startled. "What's this?"

"You look like you wanna eat." Steve smiled as he pushed the plate in her direction. "Come on, dig in."

"No, I'm good...And what makes me _look_ like I can eat all of this?"

"It wasn't hard to tell. I mean, who really chooses that little oatmeal for breakfast?"

"I do," she insisted. Natasha scooped up the last of her oatmeal and threw her spoon back into her bowl.

Steve watched nervously as the spoon rattled around inside. "Is this about last night? Listen, Nat. We can talk about this."

Natasha looked down and sighed. "No Steve...I need some space right now, okay? I got some things I need to take care of." She got up and headed for the exit.

"Wait! Don't go!" She didn't listen. _Strike two,_ he thought to himself. One more and he'd officially be out of the game. Steve groaned as he lowered his head to rest it on one hand. He didn't have Natasha, or even any answers. All he had was a hard on that wouldn't go away, and far too much food for anyone to eat alone.

"My goodness, Captain. That's a lot of food."

Steve looked up and saw Agent Melanie Fox walking over to him. "Hey, Mel..." Even this early in the morning, the leggy blonde was dressed smartly in a skirt suit and high heels. Her shoes clapped on the floor, adding flair to her approach as she made her way over to the table. Steve found it hard not to stare.


	7. Under the Table

**Chapter Seven**

**Under the Table**

**Author's note:** Sorry it's been a while. I've had a lot of things going on lately. Anyway, I'm ready to write again. New chapters coming every few days!

* * *

"Do you mind if I help you with that?" Agent Fox asked. She didn't bother to wait for an answer, smiling as she very deliberately sat down where Natasha had been.

"No," Steve said. "Sure, help yourself."

Agent Fox giggled. "I like it when someone isn't afraid to show an appetite. It displays confidence."

"Uh huh," Steve said as he nodded his head. He politely waited so that she could take the first bite.

Melanie kept staring at him, before she picked up her knife and fork. Looking down, she carefully examined her food before she decided to cut off a small slice of egg white. "Mm..." she said as she very slowly chewed on it.

Steve felt her leg bump against his underneath the table. He quickly pulled it back. "Sorry."

"That's okay, Steve. Can I call you Steve?"

"Uh, sure. I prefer it that way."

"Why don't you eat something, Steve? I feel like you're watching me. Are you?"

"Oh, yeah...I mean, no." He looked down and sighed. "You're friends with Natasha, aren't you?"

"Of course."

"You know what's going on with her? I mean, this food was for her. She just blew me off." Steve sat back in his chair, and he felt Fox's leg bump against his own again. "Sorry."

Agent Fox smiled again, before she answered him. "Natasha is..." She paused, which only emphasized what she was about to say.

"She's what?"

"She's a very troubled person, Steve."

"What do you mean?" he replied, noticing a slight defensive tone in his voice.

"I love her to death, but she's got some _serious_ emotional issues."

"Like what?" Steve asked. "Anything we can help her with?" Feeling nervous, he cut off a large slice of his pancake stack and put it in his mouth. Hopefully, it would make it easier for him to hear what she was about to say.

Instead, he nearly choked on it as he felt Agent Fox's foot sweeping up between his legs. She had kicked off one of her high heels, so that she could more easily caress him.

"I think her problems are beyond us," Fox said. "She grew up in some crazy Russian lab. They eat their young over there. I don't think she's ever _had_ a real relationship."

"She...sounds lonely," Steve said, straining as Fox's foot reached his inner thigh. "Maybe if she knew we understood her..."

"We _don't_ though," Fox said.

"Hey, come on now..." Steve said, referring both to Fox's words as well as to her physical actions underneath the table. He tried to focus on the subject of their conversation, but it was almost impossible as she advanced her foot up his thigh. "I'm sure we can get through to her..."

"I've known her a long time, Steve. For some people, loneliness is a choice." She stopped and drove her foot into his crotch, where she kept it. "The rest of us, though, can choose to enjoy our lives."

_Oh shit_, Steve thought as she began to massage his most sensitive areas. Her foot was so soft, and her long leg meant that she still had room to push. He tried to fight it. He tried to pull away. But he was a red-blooded man, and he had already been turned on by his near miss with Natasha.

Steve breathed heavily, helpless as she stared into his eyes and rubbed him with increasing intensity. "Please...that's enough..."

"I know you want it, Steve. Don't deny yourself just because she denied you."

He could feel himself losing control. Steve fought hard one last time to keep himself together. It all came apart when she curled her toes into him.

"Oh God!" Steve yelled as he hunched over and began throbbing back and forth. He made strange noises, which attracted the attention of several people from the surrounding tables.

"Hey, check out Cap over there!"

"What's wrong with him?!"

Steve's spasms stopped, and he rested himself on the table as he gasped and tried to gather himself. "These pancakes," he said as he looked up at the crowd of concerned agents. "They're so good..."

"That it?"

"Damn. Boy likes his pancakes."

Steve nodded. Thankfully, they bought his explanation and went back to their own tables.

"I'm glad you enjoyed that," Agent Fox said. She smiled, before she slowly slid her foot off of him. "It was just a sample though." She took out a pen and wrote her phone number on a napkin, before she placed it on Steve's tray. "Let me know if you'd like the full experience."

With that, she departed. Almost all of her food was still on the table.

_Only took one bite_, Steve thought. His mind quickly refocused on what was important.

He felt guilty, as if he had somehow been unfaithful to Natasha. Was it even possible to cheat on a woman who had just rejected him twice in two days? Steve wasn't sure about the answer to that, but he felt like crap nonetheless.

_Need to get outta here_, he thought as his eyes shifted nervously around the cafeteria. He'd have plenty of time to think things over once he got back to his room.

Steve stood up, realizing a second later that he would need something to cover his pants with. His eyes immediately fell back down on the trays of food. Regardless of his current predicament, he still remembered what it was like to grow up during the Depression. He hated the idea of throwing food away. _Two birds with one stone_, he thought.

Taking up a tray of food in each hand, Steve awkwardly tried to make his way through the crowded cafeteria. When he saw a clear path to the exit, he picked up his pace.

He was about to reach the door, when it opened in front of him. Steve slammed right into another man as he came in, nearly dropping his trays.

"Damn, it!" Director Fury yelled. "Where you going in such a hurry?!"

"Sorry, sir."

Fury's eyes shifted over to the still ridiculously long line, and then over to Steve's tray of untouched food. "Here, let me take that off your hands, son."

Steve clenched his teeth as he hesitantly stood there and allowed Fury to take it.

"Oh, shit!" Fury said as he pulled the tray from him. "Is that –"

"Coffee. Sir."

"Damn..." Fury said. Steve couldn't tell if he bought the story. "No wonder you were in a rush. Was it hot?"

"Extremely..."

Fury looked down at the stain, and then back into Steve's eyes. "Alright, Captain. Get yourself cleaned up, okay?" He finally turned and headed for a table.

Steve groaned, feeling as if he was about to lose it. He just wanted to get back to his room as quickly as possible. _Screw it. Forget the food_. He took three steps over to the trash receptacle and began to empty his tray into it.

After pouring out his last plate, his hand reached for the napkin with Agent Fox's number on it. Steve crumpled it up and reached to drop it in with the rest of the trash. Strangely, he stopped himself before he could do so.

_For some people, loneliness is a choice._

With a sigh, Steve uncrumpled the napkin. He looked down and gazed at the number, before he slipped the napkin down into his pocket.


	8. Slipping Away

**Chapter Eight**

**Slipping Away**

Natasha looked at the timer on the treadmill and smiled. She was still going strong after forty-five minutes of running, and the one-hour mark seemed within her reach. Of course, she had leaned forward on the handlebars for several minutes along the way. Her body still wasn't where she needed it to be, but it had improved greatly after nearly a week of hard work in the gym. Her conditioning was returning, and with it some of her confidence.

_Come on, Nat. You can do this_. She pulled her water bottle out from its resting place on the treadmill, and she began to take a long sip. It was then that her eyes fell upon the big wall mirror in front of her, and she saw Steve entering the gym. Natasha kept gulping down her water as she stared at his reflection.

She nearly spat it all out when she saw him taking off his shirt. Natasha slipped, and she yanked out the magnetic safety key that was clipped to her tank top. The treadmill came to an abrupt stop, just as she rolled off from the end of it.

_God damn_, she thought as she watched Steve moving back and forth in his corner of the gym. Even after all their time working together, the sight of him shirtless still took her breath away. With great pleasure, she continued to watch him as he mounted a ridiculous amount of weight on a barbell.

Natasha quickly counted the weights, which totaled well over five hundred pounds. She would have been impressed if he had dead lifted that. But no, Captain America was beyond such mundane feats of strength. Five hundred pounds plus was what he _curled_.

Steve stood there, muscles rippling as he lifted the weights to his chest again and again. He was not only blowing away the official world record, but he was doing so effortlessly. His body was perfect. Absolutely perfect.

Natasha sighed as she looked down from his sculpted muscles to her own comparatively soft body. It was funny how Steve could fill her with delight, and then make her feel like crap, all in the span of a few seconds.

_Stop it_. That kind of thinking was her real problem, and she knew that it had to stop. Though Steve could have had his pick of any woman on the ship, he had chosen _her_. And like the insecure idiot that she was, she had turned away his advances twice in a row before avoiding him for the better part of the week. Had she not been so hard on herself, the two of them would already be together.

Maybe they still could be. Natasha felt bad for how she had treated him. Seeing the disappointment on his face had bothered her as much as her being out of shape. She had to talk to him again. If not for her, then for him.

Natasha gathered her courage and walked through the crowded gym, toward the corner where Steve was still pumping his weights. "Hey, Steve. How's everything?"

He instantly dropped the barbell, which landed on the mat with a frightening thud. "Nat...I, I'm fine. How are you?" Steve smiled at her, awkwardly at first until he relaxed a second later.

"Better," Natasha said as she returned his smile. She noticed Steve lowering his eyes to glance down at her body, and she crossed her arms in front of her stomach on reflex. _Calm down_, she thought to herself. _Don't screw this up again_. After all, Steve did seem genuinely happy to see her again. "That's a lot of weight you got there," she said as she pointed to the barbell at his feet. It'd be easier for her to talk about anything else but herself. "How much is it? Five fifty?"

"Five eighty-five," Steve said, sounding almost embarrassed by his herculean strength. "It's nothing really."

"Look at you. So modest."

"I didn't work for this. It's all the serum." Steve looked around at all of the other SHIELD agents in the gym. They were all straining to lift a fraction of the weight that he had just been using. He turned from them and looked back down into Natasha's eyes. "I wasn't always like this. I know what it's like to struggle. To have to fight for what you want. If anything, I'm impressed with how brave you all are."

Natasha almost melted right there. She wanted to jump into his arms and kiss him, but she restrained herself from doing so. After blowing Steve off, she felt that she had to go in gently with him. "The serum wasn't everything, Steve. Captain America wouldn't be the same without you."

Steve blushed and looked away, before he smiled. "Thanks, Nat."

"Don't thank me yet," she said as she took a step closer to him. "Hey, you wanna do something later? Maybe around seventeen-hundred?"

He opened his mouth as if to say "yes," but he stopped himself short. "Aw jeez, I wish I could. I promised I'd do something with Mel."

"_Mel_?" Natasha asked. _He calls her Mel? What the fuck._

"Your friend. Agent Fox."

"She, she's not...What are you doing with her?"

"I dunno. She wasn't very specific."

Natasha huffed, before she looked away. It was all she could do not to scream and curse.

"Sorry, Nat. Maybe tomorrow?"

"Whatever your plans are, they'll have to wait," Agent Hill suddenly said.

Natasha and Steve turned around and saw her approaching.

"What's the situation?" Steve asked.

"It's Stark. A bunch of AIM goons have him surrounded in Times Square. He needs help. Like five minutes ago."

"Alright. I'll get my shield."

"Agent Fox has all your gear on the Quinjet. Wheels up in two minutes. You can change on the way."

"Okay," Steve said with a nod.

"I'm going too," Natasha said.

"Sorry, Romanoff," Hill replied. "You're not prepared for battle. We can't wait for you."

Steve turned and gave Natasha one last look before he ran toward the exit with Agent Hill.

"Damn it," Natasha muttered, as she watched him slipping away.


	9. No Surrender

**Chapter Nine**

**No Surrender**

"After several days, the world is still buzzing about the battle in Times Square. And while Captain America and Iron Man succeeded in stopping the terrorist threat, neither of them are the current center of attention.

Instead, the internet has fixated upon the gorgeous blonde agent seen fighting by their side. The mysterious beauty arrived just moments before the battle ended, but she quickly turned heads as she left with her hands all over Captain America. An amateur video of their departure has gone viral with more than eleven million views, setting off a whirlwind of speculation."

_Why are they still talking about this?_ Natasha thought. She looked down from the TV in the gym and tried to focus on her workout. The treadmill was going at her usual speed, and she _had_ to be in better shape now than when she had first returned to the ship. However, she found it nearly impossible to concentrate.

"Here are just a few of the comments that were posted," the news anchor said.

"Those two look so cute together."

"I always wanted to be Tony Stark. Now I wanna be Cap."

"Guess he likes blondes better than redheads."

Upon hearing those words, Natasha stopped running and slid off the end of the treadmill. _That's it. I'm done_. She couldn't take much more of it. If she heard just one more comment about Agent Fox, she was going to lose it. She muttered curse words to herself as she stormed out of the gym, doing her best to block out the sounds from the TV.

_Gotta get back to my room_, she thought. She could be alone there, and she would feel better after taking a shower. At least that was what she told herself.

Along the way, she would have to put up with all of the posters in the hallways with Fox's picture on them. Melanie had just been awarded Agent of the Month, but even that hadn't been enough. The Council had decided to go even further by putting posters of her and Steve all over the place, to give other agents something to aspire to. What better goal could there be than perfection?

Natasha felt like throwing up, as she remembered that Steve and Melanie were currently off shooting a training video together on the other side of the ship. _Screw it. I'm getting off this boat._

* * *

Fortunately, nothing required Natasha's presence on the ship. She decided to use a couple days of leave for once, and spend a long weekend with her other teammates at Avengers Tower. When she arrived there, she learned that Thor had returned from Asgard, while Clint's mission to Europe had also just concluded. It was the closest thing to a full team reunion they had had in months. The only person missing was Steve.

Pepper Potts was excited to see the returning Avengers, and she made sure to sit everyone down for a big dinner together. The food looked terrific, though Natasha refrained from eating very much of it.

With her stomach still growling after the meal, she sat down with everyone else in front of Tony's enormous wall-sized television. Everyone else was having a good time drinking Tony's beer. Trying to avoid the extra calories, Natasha quietly on the side of the couch with nothing but bottled water.

"I drank stronger stuff as a boy," Thor said after guzzling his fifth drink in a row. "This makes me long for Asgardian ale."

Clint chuckled. "You hear that, Tony? Thor's calling this weak sauce."

"Yeah, well even _I_ can't drink like Thor," Tony replied. "I think the only one here who can is –" Turning to Natasha, he noticed the bottle of water in her hand. "Hey, what gives, Romanoff? I thought you were Russian."

"Not anymore," she said. She took a sip of water on purpose before she looked off in the other direction.

"Something bothering you?" Tony asked.

"Yeah. You." Not in the mood for any verbal jousting tonight, she kept looking out the big window to her left. If Stark wanted to keep going at it, he would have to do it alone.

"Come on, leave her alone," Bruce said.

"That time of the month, huh?"

"Jesus Christ," Bruce muttered.

"Wow, Tony," Pepper said. "Didn't you _just_ say you were gonna watch your mouth from now on?"

Natasha would have been offended, but she was too mad thinking about Steve and Fox and all of the exercise she wasn't getting done with this time. She didn't say anything as the others joined in on the conversation and began to laugh together.

"Hey, quiet down everyone!" Tony suddenly said. He picked up the remote and raised the volume on the big screen TV. "They're talking about Times Square again!"

"Who _is_ this beautiful blonde agent? That's the question on the mind of everyone in America right now. And while men are intrigued for obvious reasons, comments show that even women are interested in this story. After all, what woman _wouldn't_ want to be on the arm of Captain America?"

Natasha squeezed her nearly empty bottle, crushing it in her hand.

"Even genius billionaire playboy philanthropist Tony Stark wants in on the action!" The TV showed a picture Iron Man staring at Agent Fox's ass as she walked away with Steve.

"God, I want her..." Tony said.

"What was that?" Pepper asked.

"I, I want her on the _team_," Tony replied.

"Really," Pepper said. "You think she's Avengers material?"

Natasha hadn't thought that she could get any more pissed off, but she did. She almost wanted to whip out her handgun and empty it into the TV. Anything to keep from seeing or hearing about Agent Fox again. Her better judgment kept her from doing so, but she was so annoyed that she had to join in on the discussion. "She's not. She's a phony two-faced bitch."

"Uh oh," Tony said, before his face widened into a goofy grin. "Looks like Romanoff here is jealous."

"I'm not jealous. I'm telling the truth." She turned and saw everyone else in the room staring at her with interest. "Didn't you notice how she waited until the last second to join you guys? She didn't do crap out there."

"That's not what I saw," Tony said. "Hey, why don't we put this to a vote? Who here wants to recruit Agent Fox?"

"Everyone can speak for themselves," Clint said, "but I've always liked Mel."

Feeling the sting of betrayal, Natasha clenched her teeth as she squeezed her water bottle again. She had to tell herself that Clint didn't mean any harm by that. He was just another man caught in Fox's web of deceit. After all, he had been her primary target before Steve came along. It was because of Agent Fox that Natasha and Clint had never truly gotten together. _Well, maybe not entirely because of her_. Natasha admitted that to herself, as she remembered her own extraordinary efforts to keep Clint close but not _too_ close.

"She fights with great skill," Thor said. "I would feel safe with her at my side."

"What do you know about her?" Natasha said. "You just saw her on TV right now."

"Settle down, Romanoff," Tony said with a laugh. "Everyone gets a vote. Now how 'bout you, Bruce?"

"I dunno," he said with clear hesitancy. "I think it's best if we keep this group small for now."

Tony sighed and shook his head. "And you say you have trouble making friends...Well anyway, that's three for and two against. Looks like it's settled."

"Not yet," Pepper said as she crossed her arms and stepped in front of Tony.

"Sorry, honey, members only."

"If it weren't for me running your company, you'd never have time for this little club of yours. I get a vote, and I say no."

"Okay, okay," Tony said as he laughed nervously. "Guess we're all tied up then. We'll need to ask Steve to be the tiebreaker." He turned and smiled at Natasha. "You wanna ask him when you get back?"

"Ask him yourself," Natasha said. She exhaled loudly in anger, before she got up from the couch. "If Fox joins this team, then I'm out." She turned around and stormed out onto the walkway outside near the helicopter pad.

_It's not gonna come down to that_, she told herself as she looked down at the city below. _Steve would never pick her over me. Would he?_ A week ago, she would've been sure of the answer to that. But now, she just didn't know anymore. The thought of that brought tears to her eyes, and she didn't bother holding them in.

"You okay, Natasha?"

She turned around and saw Pepper coming out onto the walkway.

"You're not really gonna quit, are you? I mean, if anything, I should be angrier about this."

"You've got Tony...But _she's_ got Steve."

"Aw, is that what this is about?" Pepper came up close and hugged her. "You remember a couple years ago, when you came to work for Tony?"

"How could I forget? It was terrible."

Pepper chuckled. "For _both_ of us. You know, Nat, I really hated you at first."

"I know."

"There I was, thinking I was getting close to Tony, and then you just came and barged in with your perfect hair and your perfect face and everything. I couldn't compete."

"You're being too hard on yourself," Natasha said.

"And you aren't? I saw you skipping dinner tonight. It kind of upset me. I spent a lot of time working on that."

"Sorry."

"Don't be, Natasha. Just stop beating yourself up, okay?"

Natasha nodded and wiped away her tears.

"When you were pretending to be Tony's assistant, I knew I couldn't be just like you. But I told myself that no matter what, I wouldn't give up. If it came down to it, I was gonna fight you."

That statement drew a laugh out of Natasha. "I think I would've killed you, Pepper."

"Of course. But at least I would've tried. That's what you gotta do, Nat. Try. Don't just run away."


	10. Tipping Point

**Chapter Ten**

**Tipping Point**

Natasha followed Clint down the rear ramp of their Quinjet. Stepping out onto the Helicarrier's flight deck, she raised a hand to shield her eyes from the sun as she looked around. The sky over the Atlantic was clear, and the ship had landed on the water to take advantage of the pleasant weather.

Agent Hill was nearby, observing as dozens of SHIELD agents ran laps around the deck. Setting the pace was Steve and Agent Fox, who ran side-by-side a good twenty yards in front of everyone else. Tall, blonde-haired, and beautiful, they appeared to be a perfectly matched pair.

The two of them raced past Agent Hill, who clicked a stopwatch to take their time. "Good job!" Hill yelled as they slowed to a stop. "That's a new record!"

Fox smiled and wrapped her arms tightly around Steve. She turned around in his arms, and that was when she noticed Natasha looking at them.

_Don't you do it_, Natasha thought.

A smile formed on Fox's face, before she grabbed Steve's head and pressed her lips against his.

Natasha made a fist as she boiled with rage. _Not here_, she thought as she remembered Hill's presence._ Not yet_...

"Come on," Clint said in a sympathetic tone, as he tried to tug her away. "Let's get something to eat."

"I'm not hungry," Natasha said, though she followed him inside anyway.

* * *

Steve strained in Fox's arms. As hot as she was, her eagerness just made things uncomfortable. Opening his eyes, he saw Natasha walking away toward the carrier's island.

He leaned away and pulled Fox's arms off. "Whoa, Mel, that's enough! People are watching."

"You're not shy, are you?"

_No. Just guilty_. He hoped that Natasha hadn't seen them making out just now.

"It's been a week, Steve. Everyone knows we're together."

_Everyone except for me_. Steve looked away, feeling like an idiot. A gorgeous woman was throwing herself at him, and all he could think about was how Natasha _might_ feel about it. How stupid was he? Nat had rejected him twice already. Loneliness was her choice, not his. Yet he could still feel something between them. Something that didn't exist between him and Agent Fox.

"Sorry," Steve said. "I like you, Mel. Really, I do. I'd just like to get to know you better."

Fox sighed, before she smiled at him again. "Alright. How about tonight?"

* * *

_Hurry up already_, Natasha thought. She took a long sip of water as she waited for Fox and her friends to make their way across the gym to the door of the locker room. No way in hell was she stepping on the scale with any of them still around.

Agent Fox disappeared, and Natasha finally turned to the scale near the water cooler. She looked around to see if anyone else was watching her, before she sighed and walked over to the scale.

_I'm not there yet_, she thought as she stood in front of it. She knew that her weekend getaway to Avengers Tower hadn't been the wisest choice. Over there, she had spent more time with her friends than she had working out. She had tried to limit her calories there, but even she had only been able to resist Pepper's food for so long.

Natasha stepped on the scale and saw that she was even worse off than she had thought. _One thirty one. What the hell._ After all her work, she had thought that she'd broken back into the one twenties already.

With a groan, she began to head back to the locker room. Natasha walked with her head down, barely able to contain her disappointment. Ms. Waller was going to chew her out if she didn't get down to her prescribed weight.

Inside the locker room, Natasha could hear Fox and her friends chatting loudly in their section of lockers. She quietly slipped by on the way to her own, not wanting any of them to see her as she undressed.

"Get your checkbooks ready," Fox said. "Because after tonight, I'll have Captain America in my bed and the video to prove it."

Natasha stopped in her tracks. _What the fuck?_ Her disappointment in herself vanished in an instant, replaced with near murderous rage. She turned right around and walked into Fox's section of the locker room. "Hey! I heard that!"

Fox smirked. "What's wrong, Natasha? Are you jealous? Steve didn't have any problems with this."

"Does he know you're taping this? That this was all just a bet?"

"I think Steve's just happy to be with someone. Someone who doesn't keep pushing him away. Who hasn't turned him off by letting herself go."

Natasha clenched her hands into fists. "Listen, Fox. Say what you want about me. But leave him out of this."

Fox laughed. "What are you gonna do about it if I don't?"

"I'm gonna kick your ass!"


	11. Showdown

**Chapter Eleven**

**Showdown**

Natasha lunged forward before she even realized it. Her arms were around Agent Fox a second later, and she continued to barrel forward with all of her strength. It wasn't until another moment later that her senses returned, and she could think and hear again. The first thing she heard was the sound of Fox's back crashing against the metal lockers.

"Ugh!" Fox yelled. She flailed her arms in surprise, unable to break free from Natasha's grasp. "Help me!"

"Help yourself!" one of her supposed friends yelled. She and the others ran straight for the door.

_Cowards_, Natasha thought. They were just girls, new to SHIELD and without a minute of actual combat experience between them. Fox had always been good at manipulating weak and impressionable people. The problem was that none of them could be counted on to save her when the chips were down.

Fox pushed back, but Natasha maintained her grip and body control. Bending Fox down, she delivered a hard left to the side of her face.

"That's for Steve!"

The blow spun Fox around, and Natasha took the opportunity to give her a hard kick in the ass.

"And that's for pissing me off!"

* * *

"When you and Fox are done shooting your training video," Agent Hill said, "I want you to report to the briefing room."

"You have a job for us?" Steve asked.

"Maybe. One of our field agents recently came across some information that may pertain to the Ten Rings. Nothing concrete, but we'd like to pursue every possible lead."

Steve walked by her side through the halls of the Helicarrier. He tried to pay attention, but he just couldn't focus on what she was saying. His mind instead wandered to his conversation with Agent Fox several hours ago.

_What were you thinking?_ When he had told Melanie that he wanted to get to know her better, his actual intention was to ease himself away from her advances. But like a dope, he had actually said "Okay" when she responded by asking to see him that night. He already knew where that was leading.

Maybe he had actually done the sensible thing. He was lonely and in need of a girlfriend, and Mel had been nothing but nice to him. Nicer in fact than Natasha had been over the last couple of weeks.

He still thought about Natasha though, during his sleepless nights as well as throughout the rest of his days. If there was still a chance that they could be together...

Several agents rushed across his path as he came to an intersection, pulling him out of his train of thought.

"Hey!" Hill yelled as she stopped one of them. "What's going on?"

"Romanoff's beating the shit outta Fox!"

* * *

With both hands on Fox's hair, Natasha dragged her rival through the doorway and back into the gym. Pulling hard, she threw her across the floor.

She paused after that, taking a moment to catch her breath. Pounding on Fox was quite a workout. _Should've done more of this before_, she thought, before she charged forward to press her attack.

Fox raised a leg, catching her right in the stomach.

"Ah!" Natasha cried out. She fell backward, narrowly avoiding the rack of dumbbells standing nearby.

Natasha realized her mistake as she clenched her teeth and held her belly. She had been in the perfect position to control the fight before, up close where Fox's reach advantage couldn't be fully utilized. Tossing her opponent had given her room and time to recover, allowing Fox to turn the tables on her. Maybe fighting mad wasn't so smart after all...

She stopped thinking and rolled out of the way, just as Fox's foot came down on the floor. Natasha sprung to her feet and assumed a defensive stance, as Fox came at her with flurry of kicks.

"Stay still, you fat bitch!"

_Crap_, Natasha thought, backpedaling as she tried to block each blow. Fox was a ninth-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and she knew how to use her long legs very well. One of Fox's kicks caught Natasha in the side, sending her to the floor once again.

Natasha forced herself up on pure willpower. _Can't let this drag out_. She knew that Fox had the height and reach advantage, as well as better conditioning than she did. If she didn't win soon, she wouldn't win at all.

Leaning forward, Natasha made it look like she would lunge forward again. She didn't commit to it though, allowing herself to back away as Fox responded with a deadly spin kick. As Fox continued with her follow through, Natasha lunged again for real. Grabbing Fox, she brought her down to the floor. There, Natasha began to lay down a rain of punches. All Fox could do was cover her face and hope for mercy. Natasha wondered how much she should give.

"Nat! What are you doing?!"

Natasha suddenly felt Steve's muscular arms seizing her from behind and yanking her up.

"Stay outta this!" Natasha yelled.

Steve let go of her when they were all the way up, and Natasha turned to face Agent Fox again. She didn't turn back quickly enough to dodge the roundhouse kick to her face.

* * *

Natasha groaned as she came to. _Shit_, she thought as she tried to remember what had just happened.

"Nat! Nat! Are you okay?"

Her memory returned to her in an instant, as did her rage. Though she felt Steve's hands, the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was Agent Fox staring down at her.

Fox had such a smug expression on her face. It disappeared real fast though, as Natasha grunted and began to push herself up.

"Stop!" Steve yelled as he held her down. "Don't!"

"Get off of me!" Natasha yelled as she shoved him away. She stood up and stared into his eyes, too angry to think straight. "Damn it! Why'd you have to butt in?!"

"Please," Steve said as he looked at Natasha, and then at Fox. "Let's talk about this."

Natasha shook her head as she exhaled in frustration. She had done all of this for him, yet he had just helped Fox get the better of her in front of all the other agents. His betrayal felt worse than the humiliation. If he wanted Fox, then he could have her.

"You know what, Steve? Just fuck off." She turned around and stormed off toward the exit.

"Not so fast," Hill said as she stepped in front of her. "We have rules here. You can't assault a fellow agent without facing the consequences."


	12. Decisions

**Chapter Twelve**

**Decisions**

Natasha sat curled up on her bed staring at the small television she had in her room. Staring at, but not watching. Although the TV cast bright lights against the darkened walls of her room, Natasha was so consumed by grief that she couldn't even tell what she was looking at.

It was only 7:45, but she was already in a tank top and shorts as if she was ready to call it a night. Her night was practically over, and it had been since about two hours ago when Agent Hill had chewed her out for her actions in the gym. Hill had suspended her indefinitely, and ordered her confined to her quarters until a suitable punishment could be decided on. Waiting to hear Hill's decision was the only thing she had left.

Suspension meant that she had to turn in anything mission related. That meant her weapons, her uniform, even the custom red hourglass belt buckle that was her trademark. Natasha felt as if they had stripped away her identity and her last vestiges of self worth. Anything she still had to herself, after losing Steve to Agent Fox.

Tears streamed down her face as she dug into the big bag of potato chips that she had locked away since deciding to whip herself back into shape. At this point, there was nothing for her to get back into shape for. Natasha bitterly shoved handfuls of chips into her mouth, devouring them even though she couldn't even appreciate their taste. Not just because of how hopeless everything seemed, but also because of how sore her jaw was after that roundhouse kick from Agent Fox. It made her hate Fox even more. _She took everything from me_...

Natasha closed her eyes and thought on that. It was easy for her to hate Agent Fox. So very easy. But it wouldn't be honest for her to blame her rival for the _entirety_ of her situation. Despite Fox's insults, Natasha knew that she had chosen to starve herself. She had chosen to push Steve away when he was practically hers. She had told him to "fuck off" when he had only wanted to help.

Agent Fox was not her worst enemy. She was her own.

If only she had realized that more than a week ago. Now, she was in her room, more alone than she had ever been since she had first joined SHIELD. Natasha wouldn't be surprised if Steve never wanted to talk to her again.

* * *

_What's wrong with you, Natasha?_

Steve sat at his desk, staring at the ceiling of his room as he grappled with that question. He had tried so hard to reach out to her, but she had turned him away each time. Maybe it was time for him to stop chasing her. There was devotion, and then there was just being stupid. Natasha had made it quite clear how she felt about him.

With a sigh, he checked the text messages on his phone in an attempt to get his mind off of her. Tony had sent him a message more than two hours ago, which he still hadn't checked because of everything that had gone down since then.

"Really liked your blonde friend in Times Square. Team voted on whether to let her in. All tied up. It's your call, Cap."

Agent Fox, Avenger. Steve thought that over for a minute, and he just couldn't picture it. Melanie was smart and skilled, but she seemed to lack..._something_. Steve couldn't quite put his finger on it though. Despite working with her so much over the past week, Steve just didn't feel as if he had connected with her. Not like how he had with Natasha. He wondered what Nat would think about this...

_Stop it_. There he was again, thinking about Natasha like a pathetic, desperate little boy. Everything he had with her was in the past, and it was time for him to look forward to the future. Melanie was whom he was with now, and she had talents that could benefit the rest of the team as well. Whether to take things further with her, both personally and professionally, was a matter for serious consideration.

His phone buzzed as another text message came in. By some strange coincidence, it was from Melanie herself.

"Thinking about you. So turned on right now. Hope to see you soon."

* * *

It was 8:29. About a minute before Agent Hill would arrive with her decision on Natasha's fate. Would she be transferred, demoted, or even kicked out of SHIELD? The suspense was killing her.

Someone knocked on her door three times, and Natasha jumped out of bed. After turning on the lights, she opened the door and was shocked by whom she saw. "Steve?"

"We need to talk."

Natasha stared at him with her mouth hanging open, confused by the feelings that were rushing through her head. On one hand, she was excited to see him again, knowing that he still wanted to talk to her. On the other, she didn't want to deal with anything else with Hill due to arrive any second. "I, I don't think this is a good time."

"Do you really?"

She looked at him, longingly, and she couldn't bring herself to say no.

"Don't worry about Agent Hill. I just talked to her."

"What'd she say?" Natasha stepped back from the doorway to let him in, before she closed the door behind him.

"Not that much. Mostly, she just listened. Bottom line, you're not in trouble anymore."

"What? How?"

"I've known you for a while, Nat. I know you don't do things without a reason. So I went around and asked a few questions. One of Melanie's friends told me everything. She even had a few text messages to prove it."

Natasha's mouth fell open. "I don't know what to say...Thank you."

He took a step forward and wrapped his arms her. "I should be saying that."

"I love you, Steve." Natasha buried her face in his chest. "Always have."

Steve said as he tightened his embrace. "I love you too. Just wish you had said so from the start."

"I'm so sorry about all of that," Natasha said as she looked up into his eyes. "It's just that I've been under so much stress lately. I haven't been myself."

"What do you mean?"

Natasha looked down at her own body, almost too embarrassed to answer. "If you haven't noticed...I've put on a few pounds. Then when Fox came along, all I could see was how fat I was compared to her."

Steve sighed and shook his head, before he pulled her over in front of the big mirror on her wall. There, he got behind her and wrapped one arm across her chest, and the other one around her stomach. "You're not fat, Natasha. You're beautiful. You're the most beautiful girl I know."

Natasha looked into the mirror. She knew that she was looking far from her best, yet there she was with Steve's arms lovingly wrapped around her.

"Believe me when I say that most guys would give anything to have you."

"You're so sweet, Steve. I don't deserve you."

"Stop saying that. You of all people deserve what you want."

"Well I want you."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Figured I'd kept them apart long enough. Time to finish things off and earn that M rating!


	13. Shattered Expectations

**Chapter Thirteen**

**Shattered Expectations**

Natasha turned around in his arms and raised her head toward his lips. Steve eagerly responded, and soon they were locked in a passionate kiss. Neither of them was content to just kiss though, and within seconds, their hands were busily groping each other's body.

Natasha felt her desire flaring up from deep inside, and she reached between Steve's legs to unzip his pants. His hardened manhood tumbled out in an instant, and she greedily snatched it up in her hand. Steve panted as she stroked him. He grabbed her right breast, massaging it, but that wasn't enough for either of them.

No more words needed to be said. In another moment, Steve's hands were on her tank top, helping her pull it off. It was barely over Natasha's head when Steve moved forward, backing Natasha against the wall. She quickly pulled down her shorts and stepped out of them. This moment had been long in coming, and she didn't want to delay it any more than she had to.

She still had her panties on, but she guided Steve's hand to them. He petted her in the sensitive area between her legs, teasing her, before he slipped his fingers underneath her panties and yanked them aside. Then he leaned in, and Natasha had to clench her teeth as she felt his considerable girth entering her.

_Oh shit. Fuck..._

Maybe she should've stopped for some lube. It was a challenge holding him in, and the force of his manly thrusts was almost more than she could take. But Natasha liked a challenge, and besides, she was screwing _Captain America_.

"Yes...That's it..." She wrapped her arms around his back, and then her legs, allowing him to hold her up against the wall as he continued to pump her.

It was hard for her to focus, and the only thing she felt besides Steve was her sweat and the increasing tightness of every muscle in her body. "Keep going," she told him. "Keep going..."

He suddenly pulsated inside of her, and Natasha felt the hot surge of his climax. And just like that, it was over. Steve awkwardly set her feet back on the floor, and to make matters worse, he pulled out completely.

"Oh God," he said as he looked away in embarrassment. "I'm sorry...That was –"

"Your first time," Natasha said, finishing his sentence for him. He had done so well, up until the very moment when he had blown his load far too early. Perhaps it had been for the best. Natasha suddenly noticed how sore she felt from his superhuman embrace, and she didn't know if she could take another fucking. She was still hungry though, and she wanted more. Smiling, she placed her hand on his cheek and turned his face back toward hers. "You did good, Steve. Let's go again."

Steve smiled back. "You sure about that ma'am?"

Natasha gave him an eager nod.

"Here, let me take you to the bed." Steve picked her up with his strong arms and carried her across the room. Reaching the bed, he gently set her facedown so that her upper body could rest on top of her pillow. "Thought I'd try this position again. Hope you don't mind."

"No. Go ahead." Despite her words, Natasha was nervous as she lay there facing her headboard. She was still battling some cellulite back there, and she felt very self-conscious about it. Would Steve be turned off now that he could see the parts she had tried so hard to hide?

Her fears were allayed though as she felt him taking hold of her rear. Steve moved his hands over it, massaging it with both tender care and desire. He worked her ass like he wanted it, more so than even the breasts that Natasha had so often taken pride in.

"I love your butt," Steve said as he leaned in behind her. He had said that in a way that made it easy for her to believe.

Natasha heard him breathing in, before he buried his face into her rear. Steve dug his lips into her flesh, like a man eating something that he had long craved for. The physical sensation, along with the situation itself, caused Natasha to giggle. "Wow, Steve. Never thought you'd stoop to kissing ass."

"I aim to please," he said as he came up for a few moments of air.

Steve resumed his foreplay, carrying on for a little bit more before he straightened up and climbed over her. He placed his hands on her sides, taking a firm grip before he began to slide himself in behind her.

Once again, Natasha struggled to hold herself together as she felt the power of his thrusts. She felt as if she might be split in two. Her strained breathing must have been audible, because Steve slowed himself down.

"Am I hurting you?" he asked, sounding concerned.

"I, I can take it."

"It's okay. You don't have to." Steve took one hand off her side and slowly ran it along her cheek.

His touch was so strong, yet so soothing. Natasha gave in to its comfort and took a long, deep breath.

Steve began to thrust again, slower this time but with more skill and confidence. His manhood still barely squeezed through the confines of her body, but now it no longer felt rough. He had achieved harmony with her, moving as if their bodies were one.

_This is really happening_, Natasha thought as she suddenly appreciated the fact that Steve Rogers was making love to her. It was like a dream come true, only better than any dream she had ever had. She began to weep again, but this time they were tears of joy.

Even those powerful feelings soon gave way though, as the tension mounted within Natasha's body once more. It was concentrated in her stomach, but especially between her legs. Her fingers dug into the mattress as she stiffened and felt wet all over. She began to black out for moments at a time, no longer able to consciously think about how great it all felt.

Suddenly Steve thrust himself forward one last time, extra deep, exploding into orgasm just as Natasha did. "Yes," Natasha said. "Yes! Oh yes!" She moaned out loud, overwhelmed by the ripples pulsating out from her most sensitive areas and throughout the rest of her body.

Then she collapsed, sinking into her pillow as she gasped for breath.

Steve stayed in her for a few moments more, caressing her body with his hands before he finally pulled out. "Holy shit," he said as he turned and fell on his back next to her. "That was amazing. You have no idea how fucking long I've waited for this."

Natasha turned her head toward him and smiled. "My goodness, Steve," she said, feigning disapproval. "You're cursing like sailor."

"_Soldier_," he said as he grinned in response. He reached over and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Well I thought you were better than this, soldier."

"Everyone thinks I'm Captain America. That I'm this clean cut role model all the time. Truth is, I'm just a kid from Brooklyn."

"And what am I?"

"You're Natasha Romanoff. I love you just the way you are. You don't have to be anything else."

Natasha sighed. "That's not entirely true, Steve. Other people have their expectations of me. I do have to get back in shape. For my job, if nothing else."

Steve nodded in response. "Okay. I'll help you do it if that's what you want. But we're gonna do it right. No more skipping meals."

"Deal." They smiled at each other again, before Natasha crawled over to him.

He wrapped his arms around her as she laid her head on his chest. The two of them lay together silently for the next few minutes, snuggling and feeling secure in each other's embrace.

"I'm really looking forward to being with you," Steve finally said.

"Why is that?"

"If this is your worst, then I wanna see you when you're average."

"Just average?"

"We're average a lot more often then we're great." Steve squeezed her as he tilted his head and kissed her on the cheek.

* * *

"Go on, you don't have to wait for me," Steve said as he stood by the waffle maker in the cafeteria.

"Alright," Natasha said with a smile. "Think I'll go grab some eggs."

She walked over to the next section, happy to see that the people there were already taking off with their orders. It had been too long since she had allowed herself the simple pleasure of fried eggs in the morning.

"Scrambled or over easy?" the female cook muttered, before she groaned and raised her head. Her eyes suddenly widened, and so did Natasha's.

"Fox?" Natasha asked, stunned by the sight of her rival. "What are you doing here?"

"This was Hill's idea. Said I was getting off easy."

"How long are you here for?"

"Until I learn my lesson. Whenever that's supposed to be." Fox looked down and sighed, already looking strained by her new and unenviable assignment. "Now scrambled or over easy?"

Natasha smiled, suppressing an urge to laugh out loud. "Think I'll try sunny side up. Steve likes his that way."

_**The end.**_

* * *

**Author's Note:** Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed that!


End file.
